1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture of coke in slot-type coke oven batteries and more specifically to the clean-up of coke spilled during the pushing operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the modern manufacture of coke it is conventional to use a battery, or series, of horizontal slot-type coke ovens to carbonize the coal in the production of either metallurgical or foundry grades of coke. The coal is loaded into these ovens from either an overhead larry car system or a pipeline charging system. Each of the ovens is generally in the form of a slot, for example, dimensions of 12 feet in height, 18 inches in width and 45 feet in length might be found. The coal is generally introduced through holes or ports in the top. The ends of the slots are covered with doors, including seals, to prevent the introduction of air and the leakage of gas during the coking cycle. After the coal is loaded in, it is leveled by conventional equipment, which will not be described, and heated at a substantially elevated temperature for a sustained period of time, for example 1,200.degree. F. for 18 hours. Once this coking cycle has been completed, the doors on both ends of the slot are removed. A conventional pusher machine, which also will not be described, is positioned at the pusher side of the oven and a coke guide is positioned at the opposite, or coke side, of the oven slot. The coke guide is basically a slot extension having generally the same height and width as the coke oven. However, it is generally shorter in length, being for example about 8 feet long. The coke guide is made of steel and is mounted upon a movable carriage which travels along a pair of rails. The rails run parallel to the coke side of the battery, transverse to the length of the coke ovens. The rails are mounted on a shelf-like projection which extends from the coke side of the coke oven battery, running parallel to and the full length of the coke side of the coke oven battery. This shelf-like projection is the coke side bench and its upper horizontal surface is positioned somewhat below the floor of the coke ovens, for example, 3 feet.
At the end of the coke cycle, the doors are removed from both the coke side and pusher side of the oven. This is accomplished by door removers which are mounted on movable frames on door machines and pusher machines. The coke side door machine operates on the same rails as the coke guide. On the pusher side of the battery, the door machine is usually incorporated into the pusher.
In modern operations, the door machines not only serve to remove and replace the oven doors, but also include door seal, door plug, and door jamb cleaning apparatus which serves to scrape the tar and residue build-ups from these surfaces.
During the door removal, some hot coke spills from the ends of the ovens onto the benches (there is also usually a pusher side bench similar to the coke side bench but with no rails on it). In addition, the material that is scraped from the door seals, jambs and plugs falls onto the bench. This material all accumulates and builds up on the benches. Because of the track rails on the coke side bench and the need for clearance to move both the door machine and the cokeguide, the accumulation causes a problem.
In order to eliminate the accumulation of coke and scraped residue from the coke side bench, past practice has been to have one or more men shovel and broom the accumulation off.
Recent governmental regulations have dictated against the liberal use of manpower on or near the coke oven batteries except when absolutely necessary and then only with proper protective clothing and breathing apparatus. This clothing and breathing apparatus makes it difficult for its wearer to freely maneuver, diminishing the economy and effectiveness of utilizing manpower to clean the coke side bench. Thus there is a need for alternate procedures and tools to handle this job.